ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 22, 2022On this day in 1718, the British Royal Navy attacked a ship whose captain was Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. In that battle, the Pirate Blackbeard was killed. It’s interesting how this man, who caused injury, even death, to many in his attempt to increase his personal wealth, would so quickly become romanticized by the public. According to certain accounts, people began to speak
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 21, 2022Prayer for the Week:O Merciful One, we grieve the violence, we lament the loss of life, we weep with the families of victims.Each day another senseless act!Each day another story- more fatalities, more fear, more questions.Where do we go from here, God?What should we do?What can we do?We can be made to feel powerless, useless, incapacitated.Yet by your grace, something is changing, hope is growing,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 20, 2022Worship is many things, but among them is the opportunity for the community to collectively give thanks. Our expressions of gratitude are not intended to meet some need or expectation of God, but to meet a yearning within us. As people of faith, we have come to realize how our lives are intrinsically linked to the One who is the Source of our Being. Gratitude
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 19, 2022A funny thing happened on Thursday night. A group of people from many different faith traditions and expressions got together for a service of gratitude. There was no arguing, debating or belittling. There was respect, audible WOWs, laughter, joy and a spirit of humility before the One who exists in and through every human expression of the divine. Oh, I’m sure we could have turned
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 18, 2022This coming Sunday is technically Thanksgiving Sunday because the following Sunday (the one immediately after Thanksgiving) is, in fact, the First Sunday of Advent. Let that soak in for a moment. For those of you who may not be familiar with Advent, it is the four Sundays in advance of Christmas that prepare us to receive the Christ Child anew. I love all the decorations
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 17, 2022Today is the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, and Cypress Creek Christian Church will be hosting. It will be held in the Centrum at 7:00pm. This is a wonderful tradition within our community, though this will be the first time we’ll be back in person since the pandemic. And one of the really exciting aspects of this service is the broad participation. Some Christians find it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 16, 2022Historically, Christianity has played some funny games when it comes to what it does with scripture. At times, it has bent over backwards to make sure women knew their “proper” place in the life of the church (i.e., quiet and no leadership). Quick pause! That is NOT my opinion. There are, of course, passages of scripture that are a bit concerning, though I read them
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 15, 2022Yesterday, I had to visit someone at the hospital early. There are times when simply claiming oneself as a minister is met with suspicion or even a “So what?” And when you are trying to get onto a floor or into a more restricted area at the hospital, especially early in the morning, you are met with a lot of obstacles. So, on a rare
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 14, 2022Prayer for the Week: Make a gentle and compassionate heart within me, a heart capable of discerning the hurts of those who, all too often, seek to conceal what is true, those whose pride or sense of privacy has them giving the impression that life is just fine. Create within me a heart that is tender enough to feel the loneliness hidden behind a larger-than-life
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 13, 2022For a few weeks last month, we focused in worship on the importance of loving ourselves. We were reminded of how Jesus called us to love God, love our neighbors and love ourselves. In yesterday’s Etching, I talked about the importance of showing kindness, but as central as sharing kindness is to the Jesus movement, we also need to be willing to receive kindness. To